Welcome to Contact! This monthly on-line newsletter is designed to be a resource for ARRL Public Information Coordinators (PICs), Public Information Officers (PIOs) and anyone with an interest in Amateur Radio public or media relations activities. Each issue will contain helpful articles and tips to help you spread the good word about Amateur Radio

If you have something you'd like to share with readers, or suggestions for possible story ideas, please e-mail apitts@arrl.org.

73,
Allen Pitts, W1AGP
ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager

IN THIS EDITION:

• Events and deadlines you won't want to miss this year
• Nominate a deserving PR volunteer for the McGan Award today!
• Public service announcements: We have them, and broadcast stations want them
• Shuttle Columbia recovery efforts: Good advice for a PIO "in the thick of things"
• There's a reporter on the phone. Now what?
• Join the League's PR reflector

EVENTS AND DEADLINES YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS YEAR

Each year, several ARRL-sponsored events offer excellent publicity opportunities in your community and beyond. There are also some events we hope you can attend, and award nomination deadlines to mark on your calendar.

Here's the lineup for 2003:

World Amateur Radio Day (IARU)	April 18
Spring National Exam Days	April 26-27
Public Relations forum at Hamvention 2003	May 18, 8:30-10:00 AM
McGan Award Nomination Deadline	May 23 (Details follow)
ARRL National Convention at HamCom, Dallas, Texas	June 20-22
Kid's Day	June 21
Amateur Radio Week	June 22-29
Field Day	June 27-28
Amateur Radio Awareness Day	September 13
Fall National Exam Days	September 27-28
Simulated Emergency Test (SET)	October 4-5
Jamboree On The Air (JOTA)	October 18-19
Leonard Professional Media Award Deadline	December 5

NOMINATE A DESERVING PR VOLUNTEER FOR THE MCGAN AWARD TODAY!

This year, the League will honor one dedicated PR volunteer with the 12th annual Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award. McGan, WA2MBQ (SK), was the first chairman of the League's PR committee and helped breathe new life into ARRL's commitment to Amateur Radio public relations.

After McGan's death, his friends in the New Hampshire Amateur Radio Association joined with the League's Board of Directors to create the award and honor McGan's dedication to promoting Amateur Radio.

We have a lot of very talented people in the ranks whose PR efforts have really made a difference. Why not thank someone by nominating him or her for the McGan Award?

Here are the terms of reference for nomination:

1) The award is given only to an individual (not a group), who must be a full ARRL member in good standing at the time of nomination. The nominee must not be compensated for any public relations work involving Amateur Radio (including payment for articles) and may not be a current officer, director, vice director or paid staff member, or a member of the current selection committee.

2) The winner of the Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award will demonstrate volunteer public relations success on behalf of Amateur Radio at the local, state or national level, and will live up to the high standard of achievement exemplified by Philip J. McGan.

3) Anyone may make a nomination. Nominations must be on an official entry form, available from ARRL Headquarters. The nomination will include a written summary whenever possible.

4) Deadline: Nominations must be received at ARRL HQ in Newington by 5PM May 23, 2003. Nominations arriving after the deadline or without an entry form cannot be considered.

5) Eligible nominations will be screened by a committee of Amateur Radio operators knowledgeable about public relations, which will forward its recommendation to the Volunteer Resources Committee of the ARRL Board of Directors. The Board will make a final determination at its July meeting and the winner will be notified shortly thereafter.

6) To obtain an entry form, call ARRL HQ at (860) 594-0328 or e-mail apitts@arrl.org. Ask for an official Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award entry form.

7) Return the completed entry form and supporting materials to: Philip J. McGan Memorial Silver Antenna Award, c/o Allen Pitts, W1AGP ARRL, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111.

For more information, please see page 52 of QST's February issue.

PSAs: WE HAVE THEM, AND BROADCAST STATIONS WANT THEM

Although the FCC no longer requires radio and television stations to air public service announcements, many continue to do so. Ham radio PSAs have gotten some good play over the years, particularly on radio stations and local cable outlets.

ARRL currently offers two Amateur Radio public service announcements. One 30-second PSA for television is available in Beta-SP format, the format most broadcasters prefer. For radio, one 30-second spot is available on CD. The spots are available free of charge upon request. Most members prefer to have the spots sent directly to them, so they can work one-on-one with local media outlets.

Before requesting a public service announcement, determine if your local TV or radio station has a real interest in running it. It makes sense to save copies for those outlets that plan to give us airtime.

SHUTTLE COLUMBIA RECOVERY EFFORTS: GOOD ADVICE FOR A PIO "IN THE THICK OF THINGS"

Shortly after the Columbia disaster on February 1, hams in Texas were called upon to help search and rescue teams in the debris recovery efforts. With "national news vans all over our city," Tim Lewallen, KD5ING, the new PIO for the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club quickly realized that he had his work cut out for him. Lewallen wanted to get some positive exposure for the role hams were playing, not say the wrong thing. He also wanted to be sensitive to the serious nature of the disaster.

Lewallen turned to members of ARRL's public relations reflector and received a lot of good tips on how to handle the unexpected publicity. Some of the information posted to the reflector could apply to any disaster in which hams are playing a role, while other suggestions applied only to the Columbia disaster.

Here are just some of the tips reflector participants offered:

• Get a very good idea of what hams are actually doing and, perhaps, what they already have done. Get details -- who, what, where, when. If you can, have a ham who participated available for an interview.

• If possible, have a public safety or emergency management person talk about how hams are helping.

• Be prepared to explain how ham radio provides this service without using any "ham language," or jargon.

• Do keep in mind that many or the astronauts are hams, and we regularly talk to them (on ISS now, and the shuttle previously). Hams feel a close connection to the space program.

• Any ham radio involvement is a "sidebar"--not the big story. But, in situations like this when news organizations are in blitz coverage, they are looking for every angle they can find.

- Posted by NC PIO and PR Committee member Gary Pearce, KN4AQ

• Document everything you are doing or have done. That is so important it needs to be reinforced. Use time sheets, still photos, home video, GPS logs, etc.

• Even if you do not get any attention immediately, there is a follow-up period when writers--especially local or regional reporters--are looking for any other angle for a fresh column. And again to reinforce, keep the conversation non-technical. (Use "portable radios," not "handie talkies," etc.)

- Posted by IN Section PIO and PR Committee member Jim McDonald, KB9LEI

• If one of the deceased shuttle astronaut-hams was involved in a recent ARISS contact with a school in your area, that is a great starting point for a local feature.

• If any school staff person or parent shot home video of the ISS-to-school talk, so much the better. You may have the makings of a very good TV news story, and depending on the quality of the video, it might be a "network caliber report."

• If you make a media friend in times of crisis when there is a big story he/she is trying to find a local angle on, you'll reap the benefits down the road when there's a story you'll need them to help you with!

- Posted by NBC network news producer Alan Kaul, W6RCL

• Mention that ham radio operators have been handling crises since the ARRL was formed before World War I. Point out that through RACES and ARES especially, we are part of the Homeland Security organization.

• Ham radio is a family of over two million people worldwide, from grade school students to the King of Spain. Dave Brown, Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark were part of that family. That makes it personal and makes the local hams even more committed to helping with the investigation.

- Posted by Eastern MA Section PIO Bill McIninch, KA1MOM

Lewallen wrote an excellent press release and did get some good local coverage of the ham radio efforts. He was also a huge help to ARRL HQ, acting as one of our main sources of information from the scene throughout the recovery period.

THERE'S A REPORTER ON THE PHONE. NOW WHAT?

Being interviewed sometimes feels like you're being put "on the spot," even if your interview was prearranged. Here are a few good tips to help you get through the interview with flying colors!

Be prepared, and practice

If you've prearranged an interview, give some thought ahead of time to a few points you'd like get across, and then practice your delivery. Prepare a short bulleted list. If you're doing a telephone interview, have that piece of paper in front of you. While the reporter might stray off of the topic at hand, having your thoughts on paper can help you "reel the reporter back in."

Respond to a question with your most important points first

When it's your turn to answer a question, try to respond concisely--say in 15 words or less--with the most important point you have to make on the topic. What is it that you most want the reporter to walk away with? This is especially important when doing a radio or TV interview. The station will want a short sound bite, and getting your point across clearly at the very beginning will help ensure that what you have to say isn't edited out.

Be enthusiastic and direct

You don't have to be a polished public speaker to give a good interview. If you go into it with enthusiasm and confidence, it will show, especially on television. Try to avoid long pauses, and any other body language that might paint you as uninterested or uninformed. The interview process gets easier over time, so don't worry if you don't get it quite right during your first few times in front of a microphone or TV camera.

Don't feel pressured to respond instantly

If you don't know the answer to a question, don't fudge it. Reporters don't mind when you say "I don't have the answer to that in front of me, but let me find out and get right back to you. Should I call or e-mail?" Do try to follow up immediately.

Keep cool

Try to keep yourself relaxed, and focused on the task at hand which, we hope, will result in a very positive story about ham radio!

More information about handling media interviews can be found in chapter six of the League's PIO manual.

JOIN THE LEAGUE'S PR REFLECTOR

ARRL's PR reflector is a great place to ask questions, post media hits and share ideas about promoting Amateur Radio in your community and beyond. Participants include ARRL Public Information Coordinators, Public Information Officers, Section Managers, club PR representatives, hams who work in the media and members of the League's Public Relations Committee. Whether you are a new PR volunteer or a seasoned pro, you have something to offer!

For more information, or to join the reflector, contact me, ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP 860-594-0328 or apitts@arrl.org. Include your first and last name, call sign, and all e-mail addresses at which you may post or read messages.